Franklin Templeton launches Stewardship and Sustainability Council today.
The Council will connect with 19 specialist investment managers (SIMs) to guide the continued evolution Franklin Templeton’s ESG infrastructure and best practices.
The Council’s common research agenda will tackle topics such as data requirements, transparency, and reporting.
The Council will also provide insights and guidance on key sustainability topics and serve as forum to monitor and provide feedback on related policy and regulation.
David Sheasby, Head of Stewardship and ESG for Martin Currie, will co-chair the council, along with David Zahn, Head of European Fixed Income, and Head of Sustainable Fixed Income for Franklin Templeton Fixed Income.
Sheasby and Zahn come from an equity and fixed income perspective, respectively. Both will retain their current responsibilities within their respective investment teams as they take on this co-chair role.
“We aspire to become a global leader in stewardship and sustainability and we are excited to announce the formation of the Stewardship and Sustainability Council that will leverage the considerable ESG expertise embedded within our investment teams,” said Jenny Johnson, President and CEO of Franklin Templeton.
He Continued, “While the strength of our organisation lies with the breadth and autonomy of our specialist investment managers, we also recognise that an organisation of our scale can have tremendous positive impact by working collectively on stewardship and sustainability matters for the benefit of our clients.”
After eight years with the firm, Julie Moret, Global Head of ESG, has decided to leave on March 17 to pursue another opportunity.
Johnson added, “I would like to thank Julie Moret for her dedicated leadership and contribution to the firm over the last eight years, and we wish her well in her future endeavours,” she added.”
